It is known that 2,3-diaminocarboxylic acid compounds are useful materials that find application, e.g., in the preparation of antibiotics. Various methods are known for the production of these compounds--2,3-diaminopropionic acid being synthesizable, e.g., by the rearrangement of aspartic acid, and higher 2,3-diaminocarboxylic acids being synthesizable, e.g., by the processes of Neuberg, Chem. Zentr., II, (1906), pp. 764-766; Inoue, Bull. Chem. Soc. Japan, Vol. 34, (1961), pp. 885-886, and Japanese Patent Publication SHO 45 [1970]-3083; McCord et al., Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Vol. 10, (1967), pp. 353-355; and Atherton et al., The Journal of Antibiotics, Vol. XXV, No. 9 (1972), pp. 539-540, and H.S.Z. Physiol. Chem., Vol. 354, (1972), pp. 689-696. However, these known processes have certain disadvantages, viz.:
(1) the 2,3-diaminopropionic acid process is not adaptable to the preparation of higher 2,3-diaminocarboxylic acids, PA0 (2) Neuberg's process provides a low yield of product, PA0 (3) Inoue's process results in the formation of explosive intermediates, PA0 (4) the process of McCord et al. does not permit the formation of 2,3-diaminocarboxylic acids having two free amino groups, and PA0 (5) the process of Atherton et al. uses an expensive starting material and involves so many steps as to be a tedious process.
Thus, there is still a need for an economical, industrially attractive method of preparing 2,3-diaminocarboxylic acids containing more than three carbons.